David Keith Emcees Clayton Center’s Opening Gala

Knoxville Daily Times
Actor David Keith to emcee Clayton Center for the Arts opening gala
From Staff Reports
Originally published: March 18. 2010 3:01AM
Last modified: March 17. 2010 11:29PM

Knoxville-born actor David Keith will emcee the opening weekend gala at the Clayton Center for the Arts.
Keith, a film and television star for three decades, will play a leading role at the opening weekend gala on March 27 in the main theater of the Clayton Center.
He will introduce several other celebrities and performers that evening, including U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander, opera stars Delores Ziegler and John Wesley Wright, and film and television actors David Dwyer and Bruce McKinnon.

Among Keith’s better known films are “An Officer and a Gentleman,” “The Lords of Discipline,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” and “Independence Day.” He is based in Knoxville, but frequently travels to far-flung locations to do film and television work.
However, he can often be seen on local stages. At the University of Tennessee, he has appeared professionally in “Bus Stop,” “Catfish Moon,” and “The Rainmaker.” And only days ago, he starred in the Knoxville Opera Company’s production of “The Pirates of Penzance.”
Keith grew up in South Knoxville, graduated from Young High School and entered UT, where he majored in theater. His experience ranged from student productions to professional Shakespeare to summer stock to assistant to 50’s television personality Joe E. (Oooh! Oooh!) Ross.
His first professional experiences included numerous television pilots and a country and western musical. However, he became a favorite of film critics in such films as “The Rose” with Bette Midler, “The Great Santini” with Robert Duvall, and “Brubaker” with Robert Redford. Full-fledged stardom came with the hit romantic drama “An Officer and a Gentleman” with Richard Gere and Debra Winger.
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